Kinesis Anti-Slip Handlebar Tape, Signature Series No.1 - Jo Burt Edition

The Kinesis Signature bar tape is really comfortable and easy to fit, and this special edition, featuring text and a bit of humour from Jo Burt, adds a little style and fun to an otherwise pretty standard bit of kit.

For anyone who might not know Jo Burt – our very own VecchioJo – he is an illustrator who is probably most famous for the Mint Sauce comic strip within the magazine MBUK, and also the Rapha Longer Rides Handbooks. His style of illustrations really stand out, and now he has collaborated with British based company Kinesis UK with this bar tape, which might become a full series – although for now this is the only item available.

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Focusing on the tape itself, the material feels very grippy and the 'anti-slip' in the name seems appropriate. Even when wet it stays grippy, which suits our typical British weather – perhaps even more so if putting this on a gravel bike, as I did. Water runs off the tape, so it won't absorb much rain or sweat as some tapes can.

There isn't a quoted size for the thickness, but it is reasonably deep with Vex Gel within the material to give a good amount of cushioning. It is also long enough to wrap almost all handlebars and certainly all road/gravel bars up to 46cm. I used it on the 44cm FSA A-Wing bar I was testing and wrapped almost to the stem and still had to cut a section around 10cm off the end.

There is no short section provided to wrap behind the lever clamp, but as the tape is a generous length there should be enough to cut off a section should you prefer. The tape can be stretched a little bit, making wrapping the section around the bend easier and that figure of eight less of a challenge.

If you do make a small error, the strip of adhesive doesn't set too quickly, so it's possible to remove a small section and re-do should you need to.

Taping bars can be one of those things that seems to be a magical art, and there are many ways it can be done; mechanics who do it regularly will no doubt have a preferred method. The Kinesis tape has some suggestions on the back of the packaging, all written by Jo himself. It is informative but also humorous, and I don't remember ever smiling and having a little laugh to myself when reading instructions for another cycling product before.

Across the full range of the tape are snippets of Jo's words, although I will say it's easier to read before installing. With the tape wrapped around the bar, some bits are hidden, but the snippets are still fun – 'Crack on, make spitfire noises - MNEOWWWHOOOSH' and 'Will there be Ice Cream?' suggest I might not be the only one who makes plane noises when going down a fast, twisty downhill, or thinks about what flavour ice cream to order...

It's the kind of thing that might start a conversation with other curious riders, and while the writing might not be as clear once fitted, the tape still stands out. Yes, it's a bit pink, which some people won't like, and it might not coordinate with all bikes, but it's Jo's favourite colour, his signature, if you like; well, more magenta he says.

> Read more road.cc reviews of bar tape here

At £25 it's a decent price for high quality tape – others can cost considerably more, such as the Wolf Tooth Supple bar tape at £44.99 – but between £20 and £30 seems to be where lots of other similar tape sit, with the PRO Gravel Comfort Tape being one example. You can get much cheaper tape too, of course: Easton's more basic foam tape is £9.99.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

As far as the Kinesis tape goes, it works brilliantly, being comfortable, good in all weather, and easy to wrap, with Jo's illustrations adding a humorous helping of style and fun.

Verdict

Really comfortable and easy to install with an added bit of quirky fun and style